An article in the October 24, 1943 edition of the Chicago Tribune may have the true story of the invention of duct tape.

A Navy mom named Vesta Stoudt who was working in a ammunition packing plant in Illinois had the idea for a better product for packaging ammo so that troops could handle it in the field. Her idea to use a cloth tape was rejected by her superiors, so she went straight to the top-President Roosevelt.

Two weeks later Ms. Stoudt received a letter from the Office of the Chief of Ordnance saying that the Navy would “fast track” her idea.